


Betrayed By Excitement

by Mountainside_possum



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Anger, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Post-Battle of Endor (Star Wars), Rebel Alexsandr Kallus, Repressed Memories, Revenge, Slow Build, this just popped into my head
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:00:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27984987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mountainside_possum/pseuds/Mountainside_possum
Summary: Yogar Lyste has waited for years inside of Imperial prisons, work camps, and Rebel controlled planets. Now, after the Battle of Endor, he finally may have a chance at revenge.
Relationships: Alexsandr Kallus/Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios
Kudos: 21





	1. Celebration of Freedom

**Author's Note:**

> Are you like me and wondered what happened to Lyste after being framed by Fulcrum agent Alexsandr Kallus? 
> 
> This honestly just popped into my head earlier today, but I wanted to get the first chapter on print while it was fresh in my mind. More will be coming shortly!

The war was won, Endor had fallen out of Imperial control. It had been a long drawn out war, carried on the backs of millions who had died on each side. The loss of life was massive, and tragic, which gave every system now free of Imperial control a reason to celebrate. Inside a small bar on Garel, the scene was much the same. Creatures of all races were celebrating the formal libration of the galaxy from the clutches of The Empire, drinks being passed out and cheers exchanged. In the far corner, in a small booth, sat a man of fair complexion. His hair was long, unbrushed yet tucked up into a ponytail. His clothing much resembled a drifter, minus the four small squares placed over his heart; two red and two blue. Staring at a holo-cast of the heroes from the last battle against the Empire, the man’s piercing blue eyes narrowed under the shadow of his hood. Looking onto the face of Ex-Agent Alexsandr Kallus. _There is the man who ruined me, the man who ruined my life._ Standing up, he dropped a few credits on the bar with an absent mind. 

“Lyste!” A voice called out from the bar, owned by a twi’lek man dressed in an Rebel flight suit. The orange was striking against his pale soil colored skin, making him seem like quite the surprising figure. “Did you hear? My friend, did you hear the news?” The twi’lek grabbed onto the human’s hand, motioning excitedly outside to where the celebrations had continued. “There are _crowds_ in the streets.” The excitement in his voice was uncontained, raw and sharp. 

“Hm.” The Ex-Imperial nodded, pulling off his hood to feel the breeze against his neck. The world seemed to absolutely buzz with energy. He did have to admit, this felt like history in the making. “You betted correctly, Kacus.” Faking a polite smile, Lyste settled on placing a hand on the twi’lek man’s shoulder. “You should be proud, you all should be proud.” The Rebellion had shown strength, had they offered him stability he might have joined them. When he was shipped off to that Imperial work camp on Wobani, he’d lost all faith in either side of this battle. By some stroke of luck, or pure karma, he had managed to sneak out alongside a few Rebel pilots with his friend Kacus being one. 

“Looks like I won’t have to keep bugging you to join us anymore, huh?” The man smiled, face failing slightly when he noticed the other’s distraction. “Lyste, The Empire is gone now. They can’t find you. Let’s just...celebrate, ok?” Lyste was often distant, muttering about someone named Kallus in the same fashion one might about a famous killer; with hatred yet fascination. Kacus had always assumed it was from his time on Wobani, and had never wanted to make his close friend uncomfortable by asking. 

“Kacus, you are a pilot; yes?” He looked back into the bars at the displays of the supposed war heros, his lips tightening into a scowl. “Can you get me from here to Endor?” 

“Uh, yeah? It’s a fairly easy flight but…” He sighed, cracking his knuckles. The thought of leaving all these celebrations behind felt like the ex-Imperial was simply punishing his friend. “You don’t need to go, it’s safe here now. I don’t see any reason to go, what would you even _do_ on Endor that you couldn’t do here?” The question hung heavy in the air for a few seconds, the tension like a blanket of felt suffocating the conversation between them. 

“I have an _old friend_ I need to have a chat with.” Lyste’s hand reached to his side, lightly tracing over the clasp keeping his blaster contained to his thigh. Those years in Imperial imprisonment had hardened him, turned him into a man he no longer recognized. He blamed one man for it, one man who had put him into this position through sabotage for his own selfish gain. The man he needed revenge against, “I need to talk to Alexsandr Kallus.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, and May The Force Be With You! 
> 
> Twitter: @imperialsimp  
> Tumblr:mountainsidepossum


	2. Lira San and Tatooine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alexsandr and Zeb enjoy a rare quiet moment, and Lyste finds himself engaged by pirates.

Across known space, on a remote and distant Lira San, Alexsandr was just waking up. He had returned a day prior with his partner, the battle on Endor marking the end to a long and vicious collision between democracy and the oppressive rule of The Empire. Alexsandr had complicated feelings on the war containing an end in sight. All of his early life had been devoted to a force which, as he had known it, had ceased to exist. The all controlling darkness of The Empire was now showing small cracks of light, illuminating freedom throughout the galaxy. Freedom which granted Alexsandr and Zeb the ability to quietly slip back into domestic life on Lira San. 

The morning air was fresh, light, carrying the smell of budding flowers and early dew. Opening his eyes, Alexsandr found himself bundled up in layers of blankets; Zeb’s arm wrapped snugly around his torso. It was quiet, a sort of peace that was unusual for the two warriors. Muttering with a content heart, Alexsandr turned further into his partner’s hold. 

“Good mornin’.” His voice more relaxed when he’d woken up, holding none of the ex-Imperial bitterness it did after he’d fully awoken. Softly, he nuzzled his face against the lasat’s chest. Zeb felt so warm, the warmth made it hard to get up in the morning with such comfort. For the first time in what seemed like decades, they both had nowhere pressing to be. 

Zeb groaned, hiding his face from the sun which was shining in through the enclosed balcony attached to their bedroom. The decision to move to Lira San’s main city had seemed obvious, with all of the activity and culture that Zeb had been sorely missing since the Fall of Lasan. “Mornin’, Love.” Lightly, he pressed a kiss to the side of Alexsandr’s head. 

“I suppose it’s time we get up, hm?” Carefully, Alexsandr shifted out of his lover’s arms and stretched his back. The morning rays shone through his blonde hair like golden stained glass, the natural spot light on him making his slight freckling more apparent. 

“Mm, do we have to get up?” Zeb felt like complaining, his head still pounded with the affects of last night’s victory drinks. A brief glance showed neither of them had bothered to change before bed. Sitting up, the lasat stared lovingly at Alexsandr. He looked beautiful when he wasn’t trying, that’s when Zeb saw him the most relaxed. The most  _ human.  _

“Yes, as much as we both might like it we can’t just stay in bed all day.” Alexsandr yawned, his body still weary from the battle only less than forty-eight hours prior. Raising his arms to the sky, stretching his back, the human let out a brief sigh of relief and stood up. “I’ll go start some caf.” Slowly, he walked out of their bedroom and towards the kitchen. 

“Always rushing to do somethin’.” Zeb had to mutter to himself, Kallus always wanted to get something done. It was an admirable trait in war, but now with their openly much more simple life it would be a habit broken with time. Zeb hoped that his lover would find his own peace soon, and with that find the ability to slow down. After hearing the small ding of their caf machine, Zeb slid out of bed and wandered his way into the kitchen. The sounds of the city surrounding them were muffled by the walls, yet added a delicate touch of ambiance. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_ The questioning had been intensive, by more ISB and high ranking agents than Lyste had ever seen in his entire life. Even his years of training in the academy had not brought him so close to men with such power. Only, they weren’t celebrating any of his accomplishments. They were facilitating his torture, his undoing. Every truthful ‘I don’t know’ that he spoke resulted in hours of beatings, making the days drag on and on. Some of these men he recognized, past friends and acquaintances who now wouldn’t even look him directly in the eyes. The torture never seemed to end, the hunger never dulled, the electrical shocks never weakened when stirred against his skin. He must’ve been like that for years, pinned against different surfaces while troopers and agents took turns breaking him in seemingly every way possible.  _

Lyste’s eyes snapped open, his head leaning against the window which cleared the view to open space. He must’ve fallen asleep, something he’d tried to keep himself from doing whenever possible. The smallest noise, or bump, or shift in his surroundings would send him into nightmares that could trap his mind for hours. 

“How was the nap?” Kacus was piloting this light freighter, his ship of choice during the war. Now that the war was over, he still used it as a transport due to the distinctive shape and design. Even during the Clone Wars these things had been considered unreliable and finicky, the fact he’d kept it running so long was a feat of engineering prowess. “I figured you’d need the sleep so I tried to keep her steady.” 

Still pulling himself out of the memory, the human just nodded and glanced down at the navi-computer display. “The...Tatoo system? That’s rather out of the way, isn’t it?” Lyste had never been a master at controlling his nerves, and now they were rather clear in the way he spoke. 

“Relax, I’ve just got to refuel. We’ll be back on our way soon enough.” Attempts to soothe his friend usually failed, Kacus knew that, yet he couldn’t help but try. During their imprisonment together he’d helped keep Lsyte alive, and in exchange Lyste helped formulate their plan to escape using Imperial knowledge. That had been the base of their relationship, but now seeing as the human had been his co-pilot for so long; it felt like much more than that. “Besides, it might do you some good to look around. You’ve stayed on Garel so long I wonder if y’know what other planets look like.” Teasingly, the twi’lek flashed him a smile. The descent into Tatooine’s atmosphere went smoothly enough, with only a few bumps that made the pilot hiss under his breath. 

“I get around enough.” Lyste hadn’t meant to sound nearly as defensive as he was. Truthfully, he hadn’t made many plans to leave Garel for the remainder of his life. His homeworld offered comfort that nowhere else in the galaxy could seem to provide. He’d tried planet hopping, meeting new people and going to places The Empire had simply never bothered to show him, but Garel was where he belonged. The world in front of them shifted colors, changing from a velvety black slowly into milky brown as they pierced through the planet’s atmosphere and down into the air carpeting the desert. A brief flash of relief registered in Lyste’s mind at the thought they weren’t going to be in the desert, rather in one of the many fueling stations that dotted the planet’s surface surrounded by shops and other places of business. 

Feeling the ship lurch as she touched the surface, Kacus released his restraints that helped keep him in the pilot’s seat and started towards the back. “All I’m saying is that it couldn’t hurt to get out there for a few minutes, Ly.” Disappearing out the back of the ship, Kacus made his way to the refueling station and started the needlessly long winded process of adapting an older model ship to a new model fuel pump. 

Feeling alone, Lyste carefully ran his fingers over his face trying to knock himself out of the odd daze his nightmares seemed to produce. Kacus was right, he knew that. He needed to start adapting to life without The Empire on his trail, yet why was beginning that process seemingly impossible? What would it take to actually relax again, like he had as a child? “Kriffing idiot.” He muttered, removing himself from the co-pilot's seat and moving towards the back of the ship where the loading dock stood wide open. The sand was beginning to dust the interior of the dock, making the surface grainy and unpleasant to walk on. Stepping out into the burning sunshine, Lyste shadowed his eyes by putting up his hood. The last time he saw Tatooine was from an Imperial transport ship in orbit, there was a strange beauty on the surface. The intense brightness against the sand seemed to make the ground glow back into your eyes. 

Kacus wasn’t anywhere to be seen, so Lyste assumed that he had time to do a bit of examining. He may not be Imperial anymore, but the clinical curiosity instilled by the Imperial Academy remained a heavy influence. Bringing up the scarf around his neck to cover his mouth and nose, he carefully began to walk through what seemed to be the main street of this small yet crowded refueling station. This was the perfect place for piracy or petty theft, so he remained on high alert.  _ There’s too many kriffing people, one could be an Imperial spy, even now those bastards haven’t given up.  _

“Lyste. Come on, get back to the ship.” Over his comlink, Lyste heard Kacus’s slightly alarmed voice. It was unusual, on a normal occasion the twi’lek would have just come and found him wherever he’d wandered off to. “Like, now would be a good time!” 

Bringing up the communicator to his mouth, Lyste replied. “I thought you said that I should go look around, what happened to that idea?” Sarcasm had leaked its way into his tone, he was annoyed by things like this. However, sudden changes to the plan would be normal if you were around Kacus. Settling a hand on his hip, and turning back to gaze at the ship a few hundred feet away from him, lightly he replied; “Nothin’ seems wrong, what’d you get into?” 

He didn’t have to wait for an answer, instead he saw what seemed to be two heavily armed pirates running down the twi’lek back to their ship.  _ Of course, the idiot almost gets our ship stolen on this dust ball.  _ Picking up his pace, Lyste unclipped his pistol from his side and began to fire stun shots at the pursuers. He’d never had the heart to actually shoot to kill anyone outside of The Empire or Ex-Imperials, even if it would result in his own danger. “Kacus, get the ship going! I’ll cover you!” 

Jumping up onto the open dock of their ship, Lyste kept firing at their pursuers who had grown in numbers beyond the initial two he’d stunned. “Great.” He muttered, attempting to keep his balance as the ship shuddered to life and lifted off the ground slightly. “Get us out of here!” Shipjackings often didn’t limit themselves to the ground, especially in such a coordinated attack. They needed to get in the air and back into hyperspace before the pirates got their own vessels into the sky. 

“Trying my best!” Kacus cried back, “Hold on!” 

Grabbing onto one of the cargo lines, Lyste continued to shoot at their grounded attackers till they were too high to be hit by the blasts. Slamming his hand into the button, the ramp ascended then sealed shut. The ship rocked back and forth, the sounds of the metallic hull groaned around them. With his heart slamming in his chest, he made his way back into the cockpit. “What  _ happened _ down there, how’d you piss them off so quickly? If I wasn’t being shot at, I’d be impressed!” 

“It wasn't my fault! At least not fully…” Kacus winced saying that, starting to program the next hyperspace jump into the navi-computer when the whole ship drastically listed to the left as though there’d been an explosion on the starboard side. “Kriff! They caught up. Ok, hold on tight!” Fully rotating, the twi’lek spun their ship so that the incoming blasts would miss. 

Barely making it to his seat before the roll, Lyste threw on the restraints half-hazardly. “I’ll program the nav, you focus on not getting us killed!” In front of him, darkening the milky brown sky, were three pirate vessels. This was one of the reasons he hated being outside the core worlds, piracy made it impossible to go anywhere with true safety. “I’m going to send us towards the Seswenna sector, hopefully these flyboys don’t know how to track.” 

“Wait! That’s crawling with Imps, do you want to get us shot out the sky?” Another blow shook the ship, making it groan loudly as alarms blared through the internal comms. Something had been compromised, but there was no time for infrastructure checks. If they didn’t jump now, it didn’t matter how many alarms blared to their corpses. 

“You have a better idea?” Lyste shot back, programing the jump in and beginning the count down. “Jumping in three…” His hands shook on the lever that would sling them into hyperspace, another punch to their hull making his head violently slam against the seat. 

“Now! Do it now! We can’t take another hit like that!” A mechanical voice spoke out from the control panel, repeating the warning ‘Shields offline.’ Without the hyperdrive fully powered, there was no telling how close to the planet they’d actually be sent. 

“I am!” With both hands, the human forced down the lever. Around them the sky changed from milky brown to piercing blue, and they were violently shot through into the hyperspace trajectory that’d been programmed. The ship had been compromised to a violent extreme, the cockpit rocking and trembling. Before there was any time in which to react, the ship exited hyperspace, and the sudden slam forward forced them face first into the command board; the world went fully black. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Thank you for reading. 
> 
> Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, And May The Force Be With You.
> 
> Twitter: @imperialsimp  
> Tumblr:mountainsidepossum


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